Amaras, MENK Keep Badalian Active

WATERTOWN, Mass.—Whether it’s posting your calendar item or promoting a cultural venue, look no further than Tatoul Badalian. He’s a community catalyst who works in more ways than an Energizer bunny. The calendar started in 2001, aptly named “MENK,” which denotes togetherness and unity in a super-modified way. Anything you want posted can be found here under one convenient take. It’s brought our splinter groups together and put us all on more solid ground. In an age when social calendars are yearning to breathe free, Badalian’s MENK has become a breath of fresh air. Keeping track of dozens of Armenian activities and passing them along to a readership of thousands is no simple task, but Badalian seems to be handling it with a deep-rooted sense of commitment. “There was a time when we used to have one or two public events per week,” Badalian recalls. “Now, there are days where the options are far more abundant. As times change, so do we.” Getting everybody’s notice any which way it comes, and disseminating it into a more readable format each week, takes organization—especially when you consider all the churches and organizations in New England and the multifaceted roles they each play. “You might say the calendar was a natural extension of my involvement in different community projects,” Badalian pointed out. “I think this is where the real fun is, where you drive a sense of belonging.” Badalian says our organizations are doing a great job of adding bells and whistles to their events, which keeps the calendar lively. The online service he’s using was recently enhanced with a new address, www.brownbearsw.com/cal/menk, or you can Google “MENK Calendar.” It continues to be published each Wednesday and remains under the umbrella of Hamazkayin-Boston. “Volunteer work has always excited me and I’ve been involved with it ever since my high school days,” he tells us. “In the 1980’s, we were raising children so I was not so involved. When I went back in the 90s, things had changed.” In 1990, on came Amaras Art Alliance (AAA), a cornucopia of activity that fits the mood from culture to community service, soon to celebrate its 25thanniversary. Aside from supporting aspiring performers to achieve their potential, Amaras creates opportunities to observe, get involved, and enjoy the traditions and customs of our diverse culture, from folk to fine art. “To fulfill our mission, we organize events, activities, and programs in the sphere of arts and education,” Badalian says. “The core remains dedicated to the performing arts with a keen focus on children. While we embrace the beauty and charm of all cultures, our spotlight is on the heritage of the Armenian and American people.” Over the past decade alone, more than 50 programs have been organized under the Amaras name. Badalian calls it a “microcosm” of our community’s cultural life. The name is derived from an old Armenian monastery in Nagorno-Karabagh where Mesrob Mashdots founded a school. Today, Amaras is the premiere organization working with professional artists and musicians in getting them established and entrenched into everyday life. Badalian remains the self-engrained webmaster running AmarasOnline.com,and invites readers to take a peek. A huge concentration is placed on Erebouni Dance School for children with a dynamic director named Arman Mnatsakanyan, who yearns to build this into one of the country’s finest ensembles. Recently, the Longy School of Music in Cambridge featured a concert by talented children, followed a week later by an evening of songs and poems. Featured was talented singer Margar Yeghiazarian, composer Gegham Margarian, poet Avik Derents, and Ani Avakian Arakelian, noted for her unique representation of Armenian poems. “There was a time when you could not keep me from participating in a good picnic, both as a worker and one who enjoyed the delicious food,” Badalian says. “Today, I’m working on a more serious area, although I still go and have my shish kebobs at fairs and bazaars.” The more serious side is the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR). Badalian has become a true crusader for the cause. He’d rather starve to death than see some child suffer the consequences. Or anybody for that matter. Right now, the priority in his life isn’t a shish, but rather the Walk of Life on Sept. 27 in Watertown to help the Armenian Bone Marrow Registry. For the third year, Badalian has taken an initiative to sound the call for help. “I call this serious because blood-related disorders such as leukemia have devastating effects upon families and entire communities,” he says. “This particular cause fights to find stem cell matches for those in need. Being an Armenian actually helps because it’s easier to find a match among your ethnic group. ABMDR is a global player. It’s one of the unique organizations where Armenians and diasporans meet on equal footing and represent all Armenians of the world.” For further information on this, log on to ABMDR New England. Badalian has the unbridled support of his wife Varteni and daughter Narini. Both have done their share over the years and have been an integral component of these endeavors. “We’ve come a long way since those days we went around putting flyers on car windshields in getting the word out to people,” he reflects. “And it’s only getting bigger and better in this age of technology.” Badalian also makes available his personal e-mail address (tbadalian@aol.com) because it lets him respond quickly to requests and questions. He goes on to say how these two tools—MENK and AmarasOnline—are flexible and can be expanded to meet the needs of an ever-growing community.

Amaras, MENK Keep Badalian Active

This story is FREE for you...

Tom Vartabedian

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This story is FREE for you...

Tom Vartabedian

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related Articles

Lack of assurances and transparency from Yerevan on TRIPP

Syunik’s Shaki incident exposes border security failures

Armenia’s church-state dispute moves to the international arena

Baku advances “Western Azerbaijan” on multiple fronts